This is old news to those who get to see me frequently, but for the rest of you….
The Phoenix Chorale (formerly the Phoenix Bach Choir) has won another Grammy. This time for Best Small Ensemble Performance for their album The Spotless Rose.
They were also up for Best Classical Album of the Year (again!) and 2 others.
Joel Rinsema (who Charles Bruffy mentions in his acceptance speech) is also the Choir Director at the Church of the Beatitudes. Three other members of the Phoenix Chorale sing with our church choir. It’s sure an honor for me to sing next to such talented voices and under such talented direction.
So I figure, well that’s probably a pretty good record, and I can get it autographed too. So I’ll go to Border’s and pick it up.
Bear in mind Border’s is considered one of the last good places to shop for Classical Music. Turns out they have to special order it. So I’m going to see if Stinkweeds can get it for me. I’ll let you know which get’s here first.
This is kind of interesting for Phoenix because, as such a modern city, we have very limited social norms based on a local classical music cultural heritage. Nothing like this has ever happened to Phoenix. Classical Music, or any other form of music can’t really “die”, it just becomes less interesting to the point that it goes dormant.
Seeing an international debate about the genre’s struggles and viability while watching a local community figure out how to build on the phenomenal success of the Phoenix Bach Choir gives me whiplash. It’s kind of fun.
When I first joined the choir at the Church of the Beatitudes, our son David wasn’t born yet. We had just become members of the church, having decided to regularly go to church.
The first year in the choir I was not really sure what I was doing. I’d never sung before, but could read music well. Within two months of joining we sang the Requiem as we do every year for the All Saints Day service.
Well 4 years later, I’m much more comfortable singing in general, and certainly comfortable singing the Durufle again. This weekend we preformed the Durufle requiem again.
It was quite fun and I think the best the bass section has sounded since I started in the choir.
